Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/245

 BATES.

BATES.

acting postmaster in the New York postoffice, under President Jackson, and it was while oc- cupying this position that he first became inter- ested in the subject of postage. He gave careful attention to the rates of postage in other coun- tries, and by means of newspaper and magazine articles, lectures and pamphlets, he succeeded in calling public attention to the disadvantage of high postal rates. The land jDostage was reduced, but h6 died before accomplishing what he liad hoped for in regard to ocean rates. His death occurred Oct. 11, 18o3.

BATES, Charlotte Fiske (Madame RogO), author, was born in New York, Nov. 30, 1838. She was educated in the public schools of Cam- bridge, Mass. , and was occupied in private teach- ing for twenty-five years in that city. From her eighteenth year she contributed to periodicals, some of her first articles appearing in Our Young Folks. In 1879 she issued a volume of verse, "Risk," and other poems. She assisted Mr. Longfellow in the preparation of ' ' Poems of. Places," translating several poems from the French for that volume, and dedicated in mem- ory of him " The Cambridge Book of Poetry and Song," a comjiilation i^ublished by her in 1882. She became a favorite lecturer and gave pleasura- ble readings from her own works. In 1891 she married Edouard Rogd of New York. Her pen work continued to be published under her maiden name.

BATES, David Stanhope, civil engineer, was l)orii near Morii.stown, N.J., June 10, 1777, son of L>avid Bates, an officer in the Revolutionary army. He made a special study of mathematics, became a surveyor in Constantia, N.Y., in 1810; and subsequently superintendent of the iron works at Rotterdam. He studied law, was judge of the court of common pleas in Oneida county and assistant engineer and division engineer on the Erie canal, 1817-24. He was chief engineer of the Louisville and Portland canal company, 1825-28: of the system of canals in Ohio, 1825- '29; of the survey of the Chenango canal from Utica to Binghamton, N.Y., in 1829, and of the canal along the Genesee river fi-om Rochester to Olean in 1830. He also surveyed and built the Auburn and Rochester railroad in 1831; the rail- road from Rochester to Carthage, and made the surve\^ of the Erie and Kalamazoo railroad. He was engineer of the Niagara river hydraulic com- pany. He died at Rochester, N.Y., Nov. 28, 1839.

BATES, Edward, statesman, was born at Bel- mont, Goochland county, Va., Sept. 4, 1793, son of Thomas Fleming Bates. He was educated at Charlotte hall academy. Maryland; removed to Missouri in 1814; engaged in the practice of law at St. Louis, in 1816; became prosecuting at- torney for his district, and was elected to the

state constitutional convention in 1820. He served as attorney general of the state; was elected to the state legislature in 1822, 1830 and 1834: served as representative in the 20th congress, 1827-29, and was a delegate to the International improvement convention at Chi- cago, 111., in 1847. He became judge of the land court of St. Louis in 1853; was cliairnian of the Whig national convention in 1856, and was pro- posed as a presidential candidate in 1859, receiv- ing forty-eight votes on the first ballot in the Republican convention of 1860. He was U. S. attorney general vmder Lincoln, 1861-*68. He died in St. Louis, JIo., March 25, 1869.

BATES, Isaac Chapman, senator, was born in Granville, Mass., May 14, 1780. He was graduated at Yale 1802; studied law and practiced at North- ampton. He was a member of both branches of the state legislature and of the executive council. He was elected a representative in the 20th, 21st and 22d congresses as an anti-Jackson Democrat, serving 1827- '33; was a presidential elector in 1836 and 1840, and was elected to the U.S. senate in 1842 to fill the vacancy caused by tiie death of, John Davis. He died in Washington. D.C.. March 16, 1845.

BATES, John Coalter, soldier, was born in St. Charles county, Mo., Aug. 26, 1842. He studied at Washington university and on May 14, 1861, entered the Union army as 1st lieutenant in the 11th infantry. He was promoted captain, May 1, 1863, and was on the staff of General Meade from tiie beginning of the battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 1863, till the close of the war, particiimting also in the battles of Petersburg, Weldon Railroad and Hatcher's Run. He wasbrevetted major, Aug. 1, 1881, for "faithful and meritorious services in the field," and lieutenant-colonel, April 9, 1865, for "gallant and meritorious services durmg the operations resulting in the fall of Richmond, Va., and the surrender of the insurgent army under Gen. R. E. Lee." He was transferred to the 20th infantry, Sept. 21, 1866, was promoted major of the 5th infantry. May 6, 1882; trans- ferred to the 20th infantry. May 24, 1882; pro- moted lieutenant-colonel of the 13tli infantry, Oct. 19, 1886; transferred to the 20th infantry, Dec. 10, 1890, and promoted colonel of the 2d infantry, April 25, 1892. He was stationed in the Indian countiy, was president of the board on drill and firing regulations, and a member of the board which adopted the Krag-Jorgensen rifle. He was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers. May 4, 1898, and commanded a separate brigade in the battles of El Caney and San Juan Hill, July 1-2. 1898; was promoted major-general, July 8, 1898; commanded the new military de- partment at Cieufuegos, Cuba, Jan. 1 to May 1, 1899, and was sent to negotiate a treaty with the